


A Lot of Catching Up To Do

by Sholio



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:40:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5999340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/pseuds/Sholio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene during Return of the Jedi, after Han, Leia, and Luke go their separate ways on Tatooine, and Han and Leia finally have a moment to themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lot of Catching Up To Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alessandriana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alessandriana/gifts).



"Where's the kid off to?" Lando asked. Outside the Millennium Falcon's front viewport, the view of Tatooine had given way to a black starfield.

"He says he has something to do." Leia leaned over and punched in the last of the coordinates. "There, you're set up for the jump to the Rebel base. Are you two good up here?"

Chewbacca informed her that they were fine, and she should go find Han.

"I'm going, I'm going."

She left the cockpit, unwinding the scarf around her neck as she went. Sand scattered onto the floor. Well, it wasn't as if the ship was a spotless engineering marvel to begin with. 

It had been interesting to see Luke's homeworld. She couldn't say she cared for it much. Of course, being enslaved and nearly dying on a planet didn't tend to endear a person. And she hadn't noticed Luke jumping at the chance to go back and retire there.

_I think I still have sand in uncomfortable places ..._

"Han?" she called.

By now she'd spent enough time on the Falcon to know where everything was. Actually ... an uncomfortable thought occurred to her. Sleeping facilities on the ship were limited, and Leia had been the one to take over what was obviously Han's former sleeping quarters. It was that, bunk with the Wookiee, or bed down in the main lounge with Lando and occasionally Luke. Nobody seemed to mind giving her the privacy, but now ...

Now, she realized she was going to have to explain it to Han. And she couldn't remember if she'd taken all her things out of his cabin.

Best not to be apologetic about it, she thought. She would simply march in and get them -- and, in the meantime, make sure he hadn't collapsed to die of a brain hemorrhage or something. He was doing a lot better, but clearly still not back to a hundred percent from the hibernation sickness.

She had been hoping the door would be open; that would make things a lot easier. Instead it was closed. She gave a small sigh, then straightened her back and knocked.

"Chewie, if that's you --"

"It's Leia."

There was a pause, and then the door slid back. She had to take a step back. Sometimes she forgot how ... _tall_ he was.

"Oh," he said. "Hi, Princess. Uh, c'mon in."

She had been braced for an argument, she realized. She hadn't been expecting this ... shyness? Uncertainty? It put her on the wrong foot and made her a little angry, for no particular reason.

What made the whole thing so strange was that she hadn't seen him in months, but it was only yesterday for him. It wasn't precisely his _fault_ that he'd been unconscious for that entire time ... oh, who was she kidding. It was _entirely_ his fault. What kind of idiot got himself in debt to someone like Jabba the Hutt, anyway?

Without waiting to see if she wanted to come in or not, Han took a couple of steps to the bed and sank down onto it. He still looked exhausted, worn down and weary. The lights were dim. He'd been getting ready to sleep, she realized, and all her rehearsed little speeches flew out of her head.

"I came to get my things," she said.

"Why are your things in my cabin?"

"Because ..." Her cheeks heated. She turned away and marched over to flip open the lid of the overhead storage bin. "I've been sleeping here," she said without looking at him.

"Really?"

He sounded pleased. That only made her angrier. "You expected me to sleep with the Wookiee?"

"I dunno," Han said. "Chewie would keep you warm on long winter nights. All that fur."

Leia gave him a look of utter disbelief. "Believe me, dealing with your mess is preferable."

"That explains why all my stuff's in different places."

"I didn't move your stuff. Except what I had to move in order to walk across the floor without tripping over anything."

"You tidied my quarters," Han said, tasting the words with relish.

"Don't let it go to your head." She got the last of her things out of the overhead bin -- there wasn't actually much, just a bundle of clothes and a book-reader; years of moving around with the rebels had gotten her in the habit of traveling light.

"Wait," Han said, leaning forward. He was obviously still a little out of it; she could see that the pieces were only now coming together. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I suppose I'll sleep in the main lounge. I've slept in worse places."

"Wait, no." He scrambled to his feet. "You don't have to leave. I mean, if you want to stay."

Leia looked at the single bed, then at him. "You aren't exactly set up for guests."

"I thought ..." He seemed like he was gearing up to argue, but then ... she couldn't quite explain what happened. It was like the fight went out of him. He sank back down and ran a hand through his hair. "Never mind. I don't know what I thought."

Leia went to the door. She turned around and looked back at him, and then she closed the door -- with herself on the inside of it. She crossed the room and sat beside him on the bed, her arms clutched around the bundle of clothes in her lap.

"Thank you," Han said.

She hadn't expected that. He kept catching her off balance. "For what?"

He looked up with disbelief written on his face. This close, she could see all the little lines of strain around his eyes and mouth. He'd aged years, it seemed, in the time he'd been in carbon freeze. "What do you mean, for what? For -- you risked everything to save me. All of you. I still don't understand it."

"If you don't understand it," she said, smiling slightly, "then you really _are_ a nerf herder."

He smiled crookedly, and reached up to brush the side of her face. "You've got sand in your hair, Princess."

"Whose fault is that?"

The smile warmed his eyes -- eyes she'd once thought so hard, when she thought him nothing more than a smuggler with a heart driven by greed. Seeing those eyes look at her blankly in Jabba's palace -- when she hadn't even known how bad the damage was, if he'd ever see again, if he was even the same person he'd been before he went into carbon freeze --

Her breath hitched. She dropped the armful of clothes on the floor and flung her arms around his neck. They hadn't been _alone_ , not even once, not since that first moment in Jabba's palace, and he'd still been half out of it then. Now, now -- her lips found his, and she kissed him like he was her drink of water in the desert.

In the middle of the kiss, she felt his mouth spread in a smile against hers. When she was finally able to come up for air, she found Han laughing.

"What in the world about kissing me is _funny?"_

"There's sand in your mouth, Princess."

She didn't mean to start laughing, but she couldn't help it. "Please don't ever tell Luke this, but I absolutely hate his homeworld."

Han snorted. "Believe me, if I never see that place again, it'll be too soon. In all fairness, the way Luke talks about it, I think he'd be happy to get together for a round of celebratory 'let's talk about how awful Tatooine is' drinks once we catch up with him again."

Leia leaned her head against his shoulder. "I hope he'll be all right."

"He'll be fine, and you know what?"

"What?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I think I'd like to stop talking about Luke now."

"Oh, fine, and is there any activity you'd like to suggest instead, flyboy?"

He caught her lips lightly with his. "I suggest getting the sand out of our clothes."

"Need help with that, do you?"

"Depends on the kind of help you're offering."

She was more than happy to show him.


End file.
